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July 14, 2011

Q: How to Avoid Jetlag as an Athlete (more like minimize it).

Hi Lauren,

Do you have any tips on handling running with jet lag – both heading out and returning home?
How do you manage training when you are traveling – either domestically or internationally?
On top of that, what country have you not yet gone to that you’d love to race in?

-Michelle

A:

Hi Michelle!

Jet lag is different for me every time. One thing is for sure, it gets easier to adapt with each trip. Here are my biggest pointers for traveling successfully, and planning your training once you get there:

Go into your trip rested (yeah right, right? It does help apparently).

Forget where you came from: set your watch to your destination as soon as you get on the plane.

Drink water CONSTANTLY. I’m talking 8oz every 45 minutes. I don’t care if you aren’t thirsty. Its worth peeing 17 times on the flight and missing crappy sleep on the plane. You will recover from the journey much faster if you are hydrated. Trust me on this one.

If you can sleep on a plane, do it. Catch sleep where you can get it, but make sure you drink loads of water whenever you wake up.

Keep the simple carbs in check. I usually sign up in advance for the gluten free or diabetic plane meal because its a bit lighter, and I bring some nuts and Picky Bars to snack on. Avoiding big meals while traveling makes it easier to get on a regular meal plan once I get there, and also prevents me from getting on a 3am poo schedule.

Once you get there:

Stay awake when you get there until a normal bed time. This part is very hard. To kill time, I always go for a shake-out run of 20-30 minutes once I reach my destination, and then I drag out my various tasks like stretching, unpacking, etc. Then I force myself to go out to dinner even if I’m not hungry because stimulus is the only way to keep myself awake.

More water.

I always sleep like a champ on the first night if I do all those things, but its easy to sleep past noon if you aren’t careful. Set an alarm for a generous sleep of 10-12 hours and then get yo-self some coffee!

Run easy the first day, (I do two short runs) and don’t think about what time it is back home. Just exist like a local (who feels like crap).

Don’t panic if sleep gets harder: I always struggle for the next 2-3 nights to sleep all the way through the night, but I just read a book and force myself to stay in bed. No computer, no internet, nothing overly stimulating. Just good old fashioned boredom.

Don’t expect to feel normal: For the first week I’m in a place, I just expect to feel crappy, and I run really slow.

More water.

Don’t do anything the first week that you don’t have to: I run normal mileage, but keep my training intensity light. I’ll maybe do a tempo and a fartlek that first week, just enough to keep the rust off, and make sure I have no idea how far or fast I’m really going.

As for the travel home? Don’t ask me for advice on that one. I always travel home the day after the post-race party of my last competition. Read: hangover, hating my life the entire way home, and swearing I’ll never do it again.

Your final question: I’d like to race in Croatia and stay an extra week and soak it all in. I’ve heard from other athletes that it is the #1 place they wish they could have stayed longer after competing.

Got any ideas of your own on this topic? Share your expertise by commenting! Thanks peeps.

4 comments on “How to Avoid Jetlag as an Athlete (more like minimize it).”

If you can, wear leg compressions on long flights. Especially important for distance runners!!! distance runners often have a very slow resting heart rate and because of that, they don’t get very good circulation on planes when they r sitting for hours. wear compressions to stimulate blood flow. (marathoners have been known to get blood clots because of this problem and have even died in extreme cases). i recommend a brand called ZENSAH but there are many good ones. if you need some in short notice, go to Walmart and buy a quick pair that grannies wear… typically nude color. Ask an associate for compression sox. they will help you.

(side note:)- if you can sleep on a plane…Awsum! if not, help ur self fall asleep by wearing warm fuzzy sox… dorky, yes. obviously, but planes often have cold air blowing right on your feet. if you warm ur feet, it is actually a signal to ur body to go to sleep and may be just what you need. ear plugs r also a must for me.

Every 2 1/2 hrs, i like to get up and pee and do a quick stretching in the back by the bathroom. people look at you funny, but you’ll never see these people again n e way and if you do, ur a pro athlete, who gives a damn. also, you can get an entire body suit compression (a product more for sprinters). you can wear these on flights and even when you sleep for recovery. Saucony makes a good one, and so does CW-X. But CW-X can be very, VERY expensive.

I completely agree with the rest of what you were saying… hydrate!!!! huge MUST! and as quick as you can, get on the time zone schedule. ignore your urges to sleep and try your best. This certainly is easier said than done.

Those long flights home after a night out with unleashed athletes can be tough… to be honest, i’d highly, HIGHLY recommend getting a few cans of Oxygen4Energy. go to Oxygen4energy.com/fawndorr im not just saying it because im sponsored by them. i used to suffer from serious nauseating hangovers and flying makes it THAT much worse. these cans of oxygen are a serious CURE for hang over head aches. i often feel kinda ill on planes in general. i always bring two cans of Oxygen4Energy on the plane. they r light, easy to carry and ive never had a problem bringing them on a plane… ontop of the FACT that they actually work.

the plight of being a pro athlete is the traveling. do your best. it sux for everyone.

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